Perfectly Imperfect
by CommanderBarbie
Summary: Kaidan decides to surprise his wife with a night she won't forget to take her mind off of things. Kaidan/Miranda pairing Rated M for Smutty goodness (I hope)


Miranda was tense. It had been a rough couple of months, what with Oriana on her honeymoon and Abby off world with Samantha to visit her parents. She'd been working herself to the bone, leaving before sunrise and getting home just before midnight. Kaidan had been away on Spectre business, investigating the cause of water toxicity on a small colony in the Terminus Systems. They'd been apart a week now; the longest separation they'd endured since before their wedding eight months earlier. Her eyes fell to the band on her left finger; a slim, white gold piece lined with small diamonds, which had been fused to her engagement ring. It was gorgeous, still thrilling her today as much as it had when Kaidan had given it to her over a year ago.

They'd settled down, bought a house in Vancouver and had begun construction on a new family shelter and state of the art hospital there. All of the little pieces were falling into place. Even his mother had finally come around and begun to deal with the loss of his father, though her relationship with her only son was still strained badly. Still, it was a start. All that was missing was…well, something Miranda couldn't give him. At least, not without some help.

The only thing missing was a baby.

Miranda knew there was always adoption; in fact, she was a very vocal advocate for it. She was also selfish. She wanted a little baby with Kaidan's eyes and maybe her smile. She wanted to feel her child move inside of her. Kaidan, bless him, was happy if she was happy. He wanted children, and he'd have gladly adopted ten of them, but she knew he wanted to make her dream a reality. So, they'd turned to a fertility specialist; supposedly the best human specialist in the galaxy.

Dr. Elwood Galvin had informed Miranda that her body was _capable _of bearing a child, but her eggs carried incomplete genetic information. So, what had to be done in order for Miranda to have a child, would be to extract some of her eggs and replace the genetic material with a complete sample taken from somewhere else. All three attempts had been unsuccessful. It was almost shameful to her, how much money she and Kaidan had spent on this endeavor; thousands of credits that could have been spent on other, more important, things. She'd decided it may be time to give up her dream and focus on enjoying the blessings she had in her life.

That's when Oriana had stepped in. They were genetically identical, built from the same perfect set of genes. The difference was that Ori didn't have fertility problems. Lawson had further perfected the genetic code when he'd decided to create another daughter. Oriana knew how much it meant to her sister to be a mother. She'd seen the devastation when all three of her attempts to conceive had failed; three babies dead before their hearts had even begun to beat. Oriana had offered her own eggs. Since they were the same, essentially clones of one another, there would be virtually no difference and the cost would be considerably less. Kaidan had convinced Miranda that it was worth a try, though she wasn't getting her hopes up. She'd agreed they would try this one last time, before they turned to adopting a baby. Dr. Galvin had implanted the embryos during her last ovulation, but it had been too soon to tell whether or not she would successfully conceive.

Today was the day she was supposed to take the test. It had been nearly a week since she'd missed her period, but it had always been a little irregular, so this wasn't unusual. Kaidan still wasn't home, and she was terrified to be alone when it came out negative. Granted, it was expected, of course, but it still ached when it was true. Miranda left the hospital early, deciding that the staff could handle it on their own for the afternoon. She claimed a headache and left for home, thinking that a long soak in a bubble bath followed by a nap sounded heavenly.

To her surprise, there was a car in the driveway when she arrived; Kaidan had gotten home early. Her eyes stung with tears as she fumbled with her Omni-tool to open the door. It opened before she even pulled it up and she found herself staring up into her husband's smiling amber eyes.

"You're here," she sighed, letting him pull her into the broad warmth of his chest. She felt him smile into her hair.

"I'm here. Sorry it took so long," he told her sincerely, pulling back and tilting her chin up so he could catch a quick kiss.

"It doesn't matter," she replied, glancing around the house and noticing lit candles and a gigantic bouquet of roses on the coffee table. "What are you up to, Major Alenko?" Stepping away from him, she walked toward the flowers, bending slightly to read the note written in his neat scrawl.

_For my wife-_

_24 roses for a perfectly imperfect woman._

_I do love her so. _

_-K_

Most men would have written something about the flowers not being as beautiful as she was. Kaidan knew exactly what to say to touch her heart. She turned toward him again, swallowing the lump in her throat. "You darling man," she sighed, rising onto her toes to kiss his throat. "I don't deserve you."

"Miranda," his voice grew stern, brown eyes bearing into hers, "Stop." Cupping her chin, he frowned down at her. "You've been crying."

"Today is test day," she told him, choking up on the last word. His face paled in realization and he immediately drew her head against his chest, stroking her hair.

He kissed the top of her head reverently. "Whatever happens, we'll figure it out together." Taking her hand, he pulled her toward their bedroom, where there were more lit candles. The room smelled faintly of apples and cinnamon; two of her favorite scents paired together.

"What's all this?" Miranda asked in confusion, glancing around. A fire blazed in the fireplace, where a thick blanket had been spread over the plush carpet. A bottle of wine chilled in ice sat to the side, but what intrigued her most was a bottle sitting on the edge of the blanket. She picked it up, squinting at the label. "Oil?" Kaidan grinned at her.

"Your sister told me you've been working too much, and I can see she was right," he replied, brushing a strand of dark hair behind her ear. "When's the last time you slept, Mir?"

"Last night," she told him, sagging in defeat, "For about four hours."

"I thought so," Kaidan sighed, sinking down onto the blanket before the fire and pulling her down into his lap. "Which is why," he kissed her temple, lowering his voice, "_I'm _going to help _you _relax."

"What?" She laughed. "How?" He brandished the bottle of oil.

"Massage," he informed her, smirking. "I ran into Kasumi on the Citadel and she recommended this stuff. Said it would get the job done better than any other massage oil."

"You're taking advice from Kasumi now?" Miranda raised her brows skeptically. "The woman who spends her days interacting with a memory box?"

"I used to think she was crazy," Kaidan admitted, swallowing, "But I understand why she does it. If I ever lost you—" He cut off, shaking his head. "I get it."

"So romantic," she murmured fondly, pulling his lips down to hers again. Kaidan kept his lips against hers, unzipping the front of her suit as he gently bit her lower lip, pulling the material aside to reveal her black lace bra. He pulled his lips away from hers, helping her out of the constricting fabric, relieving her of the offending garment and boots all in one fell swoop.

"Here," he said, tossing her clothing aside and pulling his shirt up over his head, flinging it behind him, before quickly doing the same with his pants and boots. It amused her, since her husband was usually so neat and tidy. It was unlike him to toss clothing into a pile on the floor, even in the throes of passion. They rose onto their knees facing each other, clad only in their underwear. His nimble fingers moved to the front clasp of her bra, unlatching it and letting the material fall to the side as her breasts sprang free. A low groan of approval rumbled in his throat as his hand lovingly cupped one, thumb caressing the already taut peak and making her forget to breathe for a moment. Kaidan bent his head, taking it into his mouth and flicking his tongue over the sensitive flesh there, grinning when Miranda moaned, fingers curling into his dark hair. His fingers hooked into the straps of her bra, pulling it down her arms and away from her body. "Lay down," he whispered to her, gripping the waistline of her panties and slipping her out of them easily.

"It always marvels me how good you are at getting me out of my clothes," she chuckled breathlessly, obliging. Behind her, she could hear him pop the cap of the oil bottle before rubbing his hands together.

"Practice makes perfect," he murmured into her ear, leaning over her body. His hands met the tense muscles of her back, making her arch in both pain and relief, drawing a low groan out of her. "I like the sound of that," he laughed, straddling her legs and using his hands to work the tension out of her. Miranda's eyes closed as she rested her cheek against her arm.

"You're very good at it," she agreed, smiling as she stretched beneath him when his hands began to knead her lower back.

"One of the things about being an L2," he explained, moving down her body so he could massage her legs, "Biotic training was hell. Some days, I'd barely be able to walk. So, I'd have to get a massage from the P.T. at camp once a week. It was rough."

"That bastard turian deserved what he got," Miranda told him, cringing at the thought of the abuse he'd endured, what he'd gone through to save that girl…the girl who'd ended up being more trouble than she was worth. Had nearly killed Kaidan; had kidnapped a little girl and thrown her off of a moving hovercraft.

"Maybe," Kaidan allowed, applying some oil to her supple backside, giving it a playful slap. Miranda rolled her eyes, laughing.

"I think _that _muscle is fine, Kaidan," she mused, glancing back at him over her shoulder. His eyes glowed with mischief.

"I don't know…" He countered, "I think you may be retaining some tension here." Both of his hands gave her rear a squeeze. "I think this may be my favorite part of your body," he added with a chuckle.

Miranda snickered, raising her hips into his hands. "I think I could say the same about you, Alenko."

"Touché, _Mrs. _Alenko," he returned, moving his attention down to her feet, applying delicious pressure to the sore arch, making her moan again.

"Oh, nothing has _ever_ felt that good," she sighed. Kaidan gave a sound of amusement.

"I'm hurt," he teased, "After our last night together before I left and I've topped it with a foot massage?"

Miranda felt her cheeks heat up, warmth spreading in heady tingles down her body at the memory of Kaidan painting shapes on her bare skin with her acrylics. It was a habit she'd picked up to pass time when she was on vacation from her duties with Cerberus. Her husband never ceased to surprise her with his creativity both in and out of the bedroom.

"Well, nothing _beside_ that…" Miranda joked back, exhaling when he took the other foot. She let out a squeal of shock when he took one of her toes into his mouth. "_Kaidan!"_ She laughed, though she could not deny it brought every nerve in her body to life.

"I can't help it," Kaidan answered, "You have the prettiest feet I've ever seen. So small and delicate." Miranda whimpered helplessly when he ran his tongue along the arch, making a sound of approval. It was a matter of pride for her. She took meticulous care of her body, especially her feet. Washing them thoroughly and having her toes painted and manicured. "Delicious," he told her, setting her foot back down and working his hands back over her legs, hand slipping around to the front and just barely brushing the responsive area at the apex of her thighs.

Her hips bucked up of their own accord, wanting more than just a massage. Kaidan seemed not to notice, or if he did, he was toying with her on purpose as he continued to benignly massage her quads, ever so slightly brushing against the hypersensitive flesh below. Small huffs and gasps seemed to tumble involuntarily out of her as he worked on her body, making her grip the blanket beneath her. "Feel good?" He asked in a husky voice. She moaned in agreement. His hand brushed more firmly against her, knuckles sliding along the moist slit, though he was still working a particularly tense muscle in the back of her thigh. Her eyes opened when she felt his fingertip slide down the wet opening of her body, lingering at the top of it just for a second.

"Kaidan…" She pleaded, voice muffled against her skin.

"Something wrong?" He question innocently, carefully spreading her lower lips. She was vaguely aware of his still covered arousal pressing insistently against the leg he was straddling.

"Please…" She begged, giving him a heavy lidded look. His eyes were dark with lust, locking with hers as he slipped his finger completely inside her, making her cry out loudly. _"Yes…"_

"You are _so_ sexy…" He purred, leaning over her again, catching her earlobe carefully between his teeth and licking the delicate skin. She could only sigh in response as he expertly manipulated her core, catching all of the right spots. His lips kissed their way down her spine, lingering at the small of her back. Using his free hand, she felt him pour more oil on her body, splashing the warm liquid over her flushed skin while he kept his long finger inside of her. A series of incoherent sounds that weren't quite words and weren't really moans continued to come out of her. She was so, _so _close…

He stopped, drawing away from her. Miranda's eyes opened in frustration as she strained to look back at him through blurry, lust hazed eyes. He swiftly removed his underwear, erection freed from its prison. It was wanton of her, but she practically licked her lips at the sight of it, trying to turn toward him. Kaidan saw, and shook his head, guiding her back to her stomach as he reached for the oil again. Her brows furrowed in confusion when she felt no oil fall on her. She cried out when she realized he'd put the oil on _himself, _rubbing his own arousal against hers, teasing her with his body. "Kaidan…" She breathed, biting her hand as he caressed the swollen pearl above her opening from behind.

"Mmm," was his only response. She swallowed, bracing herself against the blanket and trying to rise up onto her knees so he could enter her. He didn't let her, however, pushing her down and massaging her back with his hands for a moment before pumping himself between the cheeks of her bottom, gliding suggestively against the skin there. It was surprisingly erotic, and Miranda found herself wondering if he might touch her _there, _though he didn't. The sounds he made were almost as titillating as the pleasure he was stoking within her.

"Kaidan, _please…"_ She mewled, grinding herself suggestively against him. He growled approvingly, gripping her slender waist and letting his hands rove over her ample rear. A blue flare surrounded them, sending a marvelous vibration through her body, singing through her veins. He bent over her body, poising himself at her entrance.

"Please what?" He asked, sounding positively wicked. It was nothing like the level headed Spectre he played in public. Kaidan Alenko was virile and primal in bed, and Miranda _loved _it; she loved that she was married to him.

"You _know _what…" She whined, turning her head to kiss him. He purposely kept it shallow, never deepening the kiss and making her groan.

"You have to tell me," he pressed, rubbing himself down her moist slit. Miranda pursed her lips, rising to his challenge as her own biotics flared, making him moan.

Meeting his eyes squarely, she smirked at him. "Fuck me, Major."

That was all he needed to hear, because he drove into her as deeply as she would take him, causing her entire body to jerk. His fingers tangled in her dark hair, pulling gently at the roots and keeping her head up so that he could turn her face to his for a long, probing kiss. With every buck and thrust, she sobbed his name; she cried out words of encouragement. He was so big, _so _good…

"Don't stop…" She pleaded, thrashing beneath him. Kaidan withdrew completely, turning her around and easing her down onto her back, dripping oil onto her chest and stomach. The warming contact made her burn as he spread her legs wide and settled between them. "Take me," she groaned as he twined their fingers together, slowly entering her. He felt bigger than usual, filling her completely and bracing himself over her so they were chest to chest. His mouth sought hers as he made love to her; they clung to each other. His hand slipped between them, using his thumb to rub her. It didn't take long for her to feel the familiar coils of ecstasy building in her belly and she was soon tightening around him, trying to draw him deeper still. He grimaced, lost in his own mounting climax and spilled into her a moment later.

They lay together for long moments, still clasping hands; both trying to remember how to breathe. Kaidan buried his face in the crook of her neck, before cradling her body to his as he rolled off of her and pulled her against his side. Miranda looked up into his face. "You _did_ miss me," she laughed, kissing his jaw.

"I did," he agreed, smiling in contentment. "A week is too long."

"Agreed," she nodded, sitting up and looking around at the oil covered blanket and their bodies. "I suppose we're going to have to clean all this up."

"In due time," he chuckled. "After a shower…" Miranda felt herself blush. "But first," he sat up, holding her chin in his hand, "we have a matter of business to attend to. Take the test." Her eyes widened; she'd completely forgotten about the pregnancy test, had even planned on avoiding it so that she could live with the illusion that it wasn't over till it was over, but she might as well get it done with so they could move on.

"It's going to be negative…" Her chin quivered slightly.

Kaidan pulled her head against his chest, sitting with her between his legs. "Then it's negative and we've lost nothing."

"I don't want to try anymore after this," Miranda told him tiredly. "We can adopt. There are plenty of children out there."

"You're right," Kaidan agreed, looking down into her eyes. She noticed they were glittering with unshed tears. "And we'll love that child just as much as any other we'd have." Miranda felt slightly encouraged, thinking of them filling their home with children who needed love. It was a warming thought.

He wrapped her bathrobe around her, leading her into the bathroom. "I'll be right here," he told her, standing beside her. She used the sterile needle to prick her finger and let her Omni-tool analyze her blood. She buried her face into the front of Kaidan's robe while they waited for the timer to go off. He cradled her head against him, breathing evenly into her hair. The light _ping _of the alert went off, bringing her face up. She realized that tears were already running down her face as she filled with prepared disappointment.

"I can't look," she sighed helplessly, shaking her head. "It's too much."

Kaidan's eyes filled with sympathy, and he kissed her forehead, pulling her arm up so he could check for her. She watched his face carefully, though his expression gave nothing away as his eyebrows furrowed. He swallowed hard, and she sagged in knowing melancholy. "I knew it," she choked, shaking her head as her face fell.

"It's positive," he finally murmured after a long pause.

"W-What?" Miranda brought her eyes back up to his. A single shining tear had begun to make its way down his cheek.

"It's positive, Miranda," he repeated, managing a shaky smile. "You're pregnant."

She stared at him in confusion, until she found the will to look down at her Omni-tool. Sure enough, it read **"pregnant". **Unable to tear her wet eyes away from the beautiful word, she felt Kaidan pull her tighter against his body, sniffing. "We're going to have a baby," she uttered, sobbing the last word and closing her Omni-tool before finally looking up into his smiling, tear soaked face. "Kaidan, we're having a _baby!" _He hauled her up into his arms, holding her by the waist and kissing her over and over again. They stayed like that for a long while, lips touching and pulling apart and smiling and doing it all over again.

The remainder of the evening was spent alternating between heady rounds of celebratory lovemaking and discussing names for their unborn child. It was decided that a girl would be named Emmeline Alexandra Alenko, because how could Miranda Lawson, genetically perfect specimen, produce anything but a gorgeous daughter?

Of course, it would be a welcome surprise nine months later, when their son Mason Daniel Alenko was born healthy and strong with dark hair and eyes that would eventually become a startling ice blue color.

But that's a story for another time.


End file.
